Episode 81

The ducal estate, which I returned to after a long time, had become an unfamiliar place in the meantime.

As I stepped into the place I had so desperately wanted to escape from, I let out a bitter smile without even realizing it.

“Please get down.”

I obediently got out of the carriage.

The knight, with my hands lightly bound, led me somewhere. I could see the servants of the estate glancing at us and whispering as we passed.

The place we arrived at was a small prison beneath the Reinhardt ducal estate.

Clang.

The iron door shut behind me.

All the way here, I kept thinking about the charges the knight had mentioned. Even that was something I had to force out of him, emphasizing that I, too, was a Reinhardt, as he was reluctant to speak.

‘Speak properly right now. Unless you want to be accused of threatening a Lady of House Reinhardt.’

The look on his face when I said that was worth seeing.

As if the fake had harmed the real one and was now pretending to be real.

‘…Lady Aria has collapsed.’

‘They’re accusing me of attempted murder just because that girl collapsed?’

‘After visiting the temple and meeting with you, she drank wine that you touched. Poison was detected in the wine.’

I was momentarily speechless. The scene he described vividly resurfaced in my mind.

Aria had tried to offer the consecrated wine to Chris, who was about to refuse. Chris said he would only accept it if it was a gift for both of us.

I, too, had reached for the wine bottle, saying I would gratefully accept it in that case. Aria had knocked it away.

That was supposed to be the end of it.

‘Everyone saw you touch the wine bottle.’

‘You mean the surface of a brand-new bottle, still corked? The poison would’ve been inside the wine.’

‘Still, you touched it. Are you going to deny that?’

That’s when I remembered who this knight was—one who had always looked down on me when I was at the estate.

‘They deliberately chose this knight to send.’

‘Young Master Seth and Lord Servi were also furious. You will receive the punishment you deserve.’

Though unspoken, I could sense the meaning behind his words.

“How dare you?”

How dare someone like me harm Lady Aria?

Instead of pointing that out, I asked in a calm voice:

‘And the Duke?’

No answer came. And as soon as I arrived at the ducal estate, I was thrown into this underground prison.

The damp, musty smell and the cold floor felt oddly familiar, as if I had returned home.

Sitting on the ground, I continued thinking.

‘First of all… I haven’t been officially charged.’

If I had, the knight who came to get me would’ve been from the imperial palace, not the ducal household, and I wouldn’t be in the estate’s prison—I’d be locked up in the dungeons beneath the court or the imperial palace.

‘Even among nobles, the crime of killing another noble is severe.’

Even attempted murder against a noble carries serious punishment.

‘And the Duke doesn’t know about this yet.’

When I asked the knight earlier, he didn’t mention the Duke’s reaction. If the Duke had been enraged, they would’ve used that to intimidate me, but they didn’t.

“It’s most likely the work of Seth and Servi alone.”

…Possibly Aria too.

Since I hadn’t seen for myself whether that girl really collapsed, I was suspicious.

If she did collapse, why? Considering they’re making a fuss about the wine bottle I touched, it must have something to do with that.

In any case, the more I thought about it, the more it seemed like nonsense—a forced accusation. Rather than take it seriously, I figured it would be better to coax the Duke and talk my way out.

I was still lost in thought, counting the mold spots on the ceiling, when hurried footsteps echoed.

“My lady!”

“Marie?”

Marie clutched the rusty bars with a tearful face. She still had her robe pulled over her head.

“Why are you… Ah.”

I remembered sending Marie to the estate to deliver a note to Lady Ellie just before I was taken.

She must have seen me being dragged away while finishing her errand at the estate. Hearing the servants whispering, she must’ve come running in a panic.

“Marie, don’t stay here. You need to run. If they find out you’re here, they might take you too.”

“But…”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Still, you’re in a place like this, how could I…”

“If that’s what’s worrying you, I’m even more fine.”

It’d be a lie to say I wasn’t worried about how to fix this, but at least the dungeon itself was familiar.

I wasn’t tied up or tortured like in my previous life, nor was I left in a pool of blood with a broken body. Not this time.

I whispered to Marie, just in case Chris might worry.

“First, run and tell His Grace the situation.”

“…Yes. I will.”

“Tell him not to worry too much. I’ll find a way out and return.”

Marie nodded repeatedly, then, with lingering worry in her eyes, quickly ran out through the back door of the dungeon.

To make sure no one noticed her, I raised my voice after she left.

“Hey! Is this how you treat a Lady of House Reinhardt?”

To draw attention away from Marie.

“Bring the Duke right now! I need to speak with him!”

“Here we go again. Thought she might’ve changed, but people never do.”

“Ignore her. No need to listen.”

“What are you doing? Ignoring a Lady of House Reinhardt like this?”

“It’s because they spoiled her that Lady Aria…”

The patrolling knights rushed over at the noise, spat curses at me in anger, and stormed off in the opposite direction as if I was too disgusting to look at.

I stopped yelling once I saw them leave.

“That should be enough.”

Sitting back down, cold crept into my body. From a small window the size of a hand high up, light—sunlight or moonlight, I wasn’t sure—filtered in.

“Still better than the imperial dungeons, for sure.”

They’d probably feed me on time too. If they want to torment me, I have to stay alive.

‘As far as prisons go, this is practically a vacation.’

Thinking that, I must’ve dozed off.

When I came to, my head was resting against the stone wall. Then I realized what had woken me.

Footsteps echoed, growing closer until they stopped right in front of me.

“…It’s been a while.”

“Lord Servi.”

I was surprised Seth hadn’t come first. I’d thought he’d be the first to rush in and mock me.

Maybe reading my expression, Servi spoke coldly.

“I stopped Seth from coming. He’s too emotional—I don’t know what trouble he might cause.”

“……”

From the sound of it, it was almost like he stopped Seth for my sake.

“I decided I’d speak with you first. Then I’ll decide whether or not to call him.”

Meaning, if I gave an unsatisfactory answer, he’d bring Seth in to insult and threaten me.

That whole “people never change” line? They should be saying that to themselves.

I stared at Servi, then said,

“Is there a need to call Lord Seth?”

“What?”

“You’re good at hitting people yourself.”

At my provocation, Servi flinched and clenched his fist. His true nature surfaced immediately.

“Living outside made you learn to talk back, huh?”

“You’re the one being impudent, Lord Servi.”

“What?”

“You dared to lock me up.”

A vein popped in Servi’s forehead.

I stared at it with satisfaction and whispered,

“To imprison me like this… haven’t you heard the news? I’m soon to be engaged to His Grace, the Grand Duke.”

I raised my hand, showing off the ring. Servi’s face twisted into a sneer.

“So you got arrogant living outside and forgot your place—and your roots.”

Servi stepped up to the bars, eyes burning.

“You’re someone taken in by Reinhardt. You’re one of Reinhardt’s tools—not Elzerian’s.”

“……”

A tool? More like a doll.

Seeing the murky emotions in his eyes confirmed it.

Eyes that imagined the power to humiliate and hurt me at will.

Suddenly, Servi reached out.

I was close enough to the bars that he grabbed me easily. His grip crushed my wrist, yanking me towards him.

As I was pulled helplessly, his eyes glinted with sick satisfaction.

“And you, a mere pawn of Reinhardt, dare to use the Grand Duke’s power to threaten me?”

‘Oh, now I’m Reinhardt’s pawn?’

Hiding a smirk, I widened my eyes.

“Threaten?”

“You’re threatening me by saying I imprisoned the Grand Duke’s fiancée—”

“Lord Servi, have you forgotten the task the Duke gave me?”

At that, Servi shut his mouth.

I twirled a strand of my hair lazily and said,

“The Duke told me to seduce the Grand Duke. I did my best—and now we’re getting engaged.”

“You…”

“And you lock me up now? Just before I reel the Grand Duke in? If our engagement gets broken over this, what will the Duke say?”

“……”

“I always thought you were wiser than Lord Seth, Lord Servi.”

“You…”

“It was the Duke’s will to tie me to the Grand Duke, wasn’t it?”

I stared at him as if reminding him. His eyes blazed.

“That’s why you’re being impudent.”

I slapped his hand away from my wrist.

“The heir to House Reinhardt… daring to interfere with the Duke’s intentions?”

Just then, I heard rustling from the dungeon entrance, growing fainter.